Technical analysis does not work as well as it used to

Jim Nasium

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"Technical analysis doesn't work as well as it used to. As transaction costs decrease, available computing power increases and the number of market participants increases, one would expect markets to become increasingly efficient and thus it is not surprising that the technical analysis should diminish"

http://www.technicalanalysis.org.uk/technical-analysis.pdf


Discuss amongst yourselves.
 
many poor methods of technical analysis only works well in certain market conditions. there are methods that have been working since the 1920's and continue to do so today
 
Efficient market hypothesis is the biggest pile of **** that I have ever had the misfortune of learning. I have unlearned it with pleasure by watching price.

Inexperienced market participants behave irrationally by overtrading, cutting profits short, allowing losses to increase and by following the herd. Overcome yourself and you have an edge. People remain as emotional today as they were 100 years ago. Some things don't change.
 
"Technical analysis doesn't work as well as it used to. As transaction costs decrease, available computing power increases and the number of market participants increases, one would expect markets to become increasingly efficient and thus it is not surprising that the technical analysis should diminish"

http://www.technicalanalysis.org.uk/technical-analysis.pdf


Discuss amongst yourselves.

Bit difficult to discuss when the link is only an abstract of this thesis. Most academics can find the evidence to fit a theory; the clever ones deduce a theory from the evidence - which may be right or wrong. It does sound like an interesting piece of work though.

Technical analysis embraces such a wide range of methods and parameters that to discuss a blanket statement that it's diminishing (and since when?) without defining what that means might be a bit unsatisfactory.

However, always good for the soapbox! Whatever the theories, I'm still doing very nicely with TA thank you!

It would be interesting to see Martin Sewell's original work - by the way, with a posting handle of "Jim Nasium" :LOL: , that wouldn't be you would it?
 
Are you related to Jim Khana?
Or perhaps you have a brother called Jim Nast?

The article is typically academic with no understanding of reality.
Knives work less well with use and therefore become useless, huh?

"Discuss amongst yourselves" sounds like a teacher making a statement and leaving the lesser beings called students to get on with discussing nonsense.......
 
OK ok ok, I am sensing a bit of hostility here, no need to get defensive. A quick look at my previous posts will reveal that I am a newcomer to trading and technical analysis. I came across the above text (and there a few similar views out there) which concerned me as I have been spending hours of my spare time every day studying charts, just wanted some re-assurance I am not wasting my time. Personally I find it works, but how would I know if ta worked a lot better 10 years ago, and therefore might be even less applicable in another 5 years.

Thanks for your input, continue to discuss amongst yourselves ; )
 
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...Personally I find it works, but how would I know if ta worked a lot better 10 years ago, and therefore might be even less applicable in another 5 years....

Dave, a market stall owner sold fruit. He sold a lot of oranges. When he first started trading, he sold them for 5p each. They sold better than whisky at an alcoholics anonymous meeting. He put them up to 10p, still sold... 20p, 30p... Obviously good oranges.

At 30p the sales started slowing down, he dropped them to 25p and they were selling again. Dave, being a greedy bugger went to 35p and business was okay. Jumped up to 45p and only a few went here and there. Things started to peak. He dropped back down to 40p, then 35p... business was still slow... He went back down to 30p, things picked up and he saw all his old customers come back. He kept them there for a little while, then as things stayed constant, he started to push prices up again. The same thing happened at 45p as they were again, too expensive.

This time, a stall opened next to him with even juicier oranges. Dave had to drop prices to 30p again but still no good, he had a bit of interest.. but he had to go back to 25p...

Economists and bloomberg analysts said after the event that it was the new stall, the fact it started raining oranges and something else to do with America probably, technical analysts looked at the stats in a chart, saw key levels sat at 25p, 30p, an 45p.

Supply, demand, support, resistance. Call it what you will and view it through FA or TA, but at the end of the day, TA always works.
 
They sold better than whisky at an alcoholics anonymous meeting

Well they would because at these meetings people go to stop drinking and not buy more of the same :)


Paul
 
"Technical analysis doesn't work as well as it used to. As transaction costs decrease, available computing power increases and the number of market participants increases, one would expect markets to become increasingly efficient and thus it is not surprising that the technical analysis should diminish"

http://www.technicalanalysis.org.uk/technical-analysis.pdf


Discuss amongst yourselves.


SR works, always has always will, it's pretty damned effecient and simple to work in most markets. Simple channel lines work well as a supplement to SR. Tried and tested stuff.
 
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SR works, always has always will, it's pretty damned effecient and simple to work in most markets. Simple channel lines work well as a supplement to SR. Tried and tested stuff.

Well that's good, my strategy consists of support/trend lines and strict money management rules.
 
technical analysis has never changed, my friend. How one interpets that lagging information is what determines how well it 'works' in my opinion. I just feel it works as well, or as poorly ,as it always has for that reason!
 
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